Silicon Photonics Set for Takeoff

By Alan Patterson, EETimes (October 30, 2024)

GlobalFoundries, Tower Semiconductor, and possibly some companies in China are poised for a wave of silicon photonics demand driven by AI and other applications like quantum computing.

The emerging tech may give second-tier foundries a competitive advantage and alter the chip competition between the U.S. and China. In Beijing, some believe silicon photonics can help the nation skirt a U.S.-led ban on exports of EUV tools that have blunted China’s progress making advanced chips, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The silicon photonics market is small, but forecasts show a 42% compound annual growth reaching $850 million by 2029, according to market research firm Yole Group. The main growth driver is demand for the latest 800G transceivers and increased fiber-optic network capacity to move huge amounts of data.

To read the full article, click here